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Visitor Policy

Definition and Purpose

Each year, Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) receives hundreds of requests to visit our facilities, to meet with and learn from faculty, or to just spend time at CVM. Whereas any faculty or staff may invite on an informal basis (departmental processing only) any visitor to her office or lab, there are specific situations (listed below) when the visit should be considered formal:

College or University support is desired and/or

College or University resources are requested/needed and/or

The visit will exceed three months and/or

The visitor requires visa sponsorship

In these instances, the visit and visitor must be:

Approved by the department and Chair

Registered with Office for International Affairs & Professional Programs (OIAPP)

The following guidelines therefore are aimed at minimizing confusion and creating efficiencies for hosting visitors.
This document serves to summarize the types of visitors that the CVM hosts, the visit planning and approval process, and the related services that the College will provide to the host and to the visitor. Casual short term (less three months and no CVM appointment) are processed solely by each department. The Office for International Affairs & Professional Programs can guide and assist if there are questions concerning departmental casual visits. The need for a visa or CVM appointment will trigger OIAPPprocessing.

Types of Visitors and Status at Cornell

There are two types of visitors to the CVM: those involved in clinical patient/animal contact (exclusive of the DVM clinical internship and residency program); and those involved with laboratory based research. All formal visitors to the CVM, as defined above, must fall into one of the following six categories:

Clinical Visitors

(excluding DVM clinical internship & residency program)

Externs: Individuals who are in the clinical training portion of their DVM or foreign equivalent veterinary degree and are performing a clinical rotation at CVM/CUHA. Visitors may apply to be a part of a CVM service, and visits can be from two weeks to three months following clinical rotation schedules. Externs must be matriculated clinical year veterinary students. Willing to cover the costs of the rotation (page 4) if not part of a reciprocal (US/Canada) externship program. Pharmacy student Externs included.

Visiting Veterinarians: Individuals who have completed their DVM or foreign equivalent veterinary degree and are looking for further clinical experience. Visitors may apply to be a part of a CVM service, and visits can be from one week to three months. Visiting Veterinarians must hold a DVM or foreign veterinarian degree and be willing to cover the costs of the rotation (page 4).

Sponsored Interns/Residents: Individuals with a DVM or foreign equivalent veterinary degree who are pursuing special training in a service area. Interns/Residents that come to the CVM via the ‘match’ are not included here. However, each year, specific units at the CVM may allow residents to apply for self-funded placements. In this case, they are appointed for up to the duration of the clinical experience: one-year Internships, and/or two-to-three-year
residency programs. Sponsored Interns/Residents must hold a DVM or foreign veterinarian degree and be willing to cover the costs of the service (page 4).

Volunteers - Only at the Wildlife Health Center and Cornell Ruffian Equine Specialists clinic: Individuals accepted as volunteers are not there for clinical training.

Research/ Academic Visitors

Visiting Academics: Researchers or scientists from other institutions who have academic credentials. This may include faculty on sabbatical or visiting as a part of a collaboration. Visiting faculty may be at the CVM for up to one year.

Visiting Academics must hold a research or faculty position at another institution, and be willing to cover the costs related to campus access (page 4).

‘Lab’ Interns: Veterinary and Post-graduate research students who have a desire to be mentored and learn in a lab. Interns may stay at Cornell for up to 12 months.

‘Lab’ Interns must:

Describe individual benefits from the learning/experience gained through the internship

NOT displace regular employees; work under the close observation of a regular employee

Understand that they are not entitled to a job at the conclusion of the training period

Understand that the individual is not entitled to wages.

Be willing to cover the costs related to mentoring and campus access (page 4).

Initiating, Requesting and Finalizing Visits

In all cases, visitors must be sponsored by a faculty member and submit three documents: 1. A Visitor Request Form (including department chair’s approval, and all required documentation) and submitted to the Office of International Affairs & Professional Programs (OIAPP) ideally three months before the visit. The Visitor Request Form collects standard information required to process a visitor, and documents commitment of the faculty member and the department as well as clarifying the best category/status for each visitor.2. A CVthat describes relevant education and research experience.3. A signed Agreement Form (from a OIAPP template) that describes learning or collaboration objectives, and acknowledges the expectations made of the visitor (including costs) and benefits provided by Cornell, must also be submitted. Due to the time required and associated costs, processing will not commence without the Visitor Request Form, CV, and Letter of Intent.

Once the documents are submitted to OIAPP, OIAPP will coordinate directly with the proposed visitor to gather all other documentation required in order to process the application. The faculty sponsor will be kept informed.

The following table lists the specific documentation required for each visitor:

Clinical Visitor

Lab/Academic Visitor

Requirement

Extern

Visiting Vet

Sponsored Vet Intern/Resident

Volunteer

Academic

'Lab' Inten

Visitor Request Form

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Letter of Intent

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Faculty Mentor Commitment

Yes

Yes

Yes

Chair Approval

Section Chief

Section Chief

Section Chief + CUHA Director

Yes

Yes

Financial Support

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Proof of English

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Learning Objectives

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Proof of matriculation

Yes

Yes (if student)

Health Insurance

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Liability Insurance

Yes

Yes

By CVM

Liability Waiver

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Parental approval

If a minor

Approval Process for Visitors

All formal visitors that come to the CVM are registered with and processed by the OIAPP on the appropriate CVM or CU systems. Because we do not charge tuition to any visitor, we have no visitors with a student status.

*Note: This is the ideal timeline to manage work flow, onboarding, orientation, as well as logistics that may be needed such as visa sponsorship and processing and/or assistance with accommodation. If the applicant is local, a U.S. citizen, or not in need of housing assistance, the timeline may be accelerated.

Visitor Costs

All visitors will be subject to a standard fee schedule. The fees are defined each year. Visitor-related costs are used to support staff time related to visitor processing, visitor support, visitor tracking systems, as well as to supplement department and faculty-related costs incurred by training and mentoring visitors. Visitor-related costs are also used to cover costs for specific services that are granted upon OHR appointment; such as TCAT transportation, library services, web access, and space usage.

Visitors may be exempt from paying some of the defined fees, at the discretion of the faculty sponsor or department. However, in the interest of standardizing processes across the CVM, an exemption should only be granted in exceptional circumstances.

CVM-provided Resources and Benefits for Visitors

The following table lists the specific Cornell benefits provided to the different typed of visitors: